MEME9

Good advice -

Imagin

Yesterday I took the day to visit the local sewing machine dealers and actually try out some of the newer machines. I wasn't easy to impress having only sewn on my 35 year old Kenmore, but I was really surprised to see that the new machines in my price range (I foolishly thought that $1000 would buy me somthing "high end") didn't have any more harp/throat/working space than what I had now!

I was also surprised to learn that the Babylock machines I've heard so much about are made by Brother. I'd always thought of Brother as a lower end machine but they really aren't. Well, they do have lower end machines, but their higher end ones are truly top of the line. They are clearly Babylocks with a different paint job. I guess if you buy Babylock you're just paying for the name.

I was fortunate to be able to speak to some good people and got a real education in what is going on with sewing machines today. I've decided to wait and save up more money so that I can get my dream machine (which is for now the Brother Dreamweaver VQ3000 but that is subject to change with not only a larger throat space but some bells and whistles as well. If I can live frugally for a few months I will buy a very nice Christmas present for myself

Verona

Hi. Just wondering if you ever did buy that machine and did you do more research beyond going to Sears? Most if not all Kenmore machines are made by Janome. I am in Atlantic Canada and you do have more options beyond Sears. I have been doing similar research as you for three days and nights straight. Not much sleep. My husband added that he never wants to buy a new car with me, but buying a sewing machine is a lot more difficult than buying a car. New models might come out yearly but stores still carry models several years older and you might just get a "that's last year's model" from them. For instance in Canada the Janome-Juno line that you can only purchase online, is from 2013 and I don't see any notation that they have updated these each year. Consequently, in 2015, if I order one off the site, I am most certainly buying dated technology. I still haven't gotten a clear picture on how much computer technology has affected the below $1000 range of machines. I wasn't looking for a machine in 2013, so don't know if the prices they are showing on that site as reduced is because of the machines now being older, or if it was a marketing gimmick and machines which they stated were $1000 are now slashed to $499 was listed at the beginning on the site. I too wanted a larger throat size than my 6x5 current 35 yr old Kenmore and I can find something larger, for instance in a Janome 6600 at 9". I don't trust technology as much as I do mechanical operations, but my new machine will be computerized to what extent, I am not sure. You can purchase a longer arm machine for at least 9" without going digital, but I want to replace my machine at this point completely and might want to try my hand at embroidery on my quilts. Yes the second hand Janome 6600 is sounding good, but the dealer told me it came only with a 90-day warranty. He used to be a Baby Lock dealer, but said they were difficult to deal with for warranty problems. He worked for Singer for over 40 years and he sews. He emphasised that Brother and Singer are now making machines for lower end purchases at places like Walmart and many machines have plastic gears. Janome's lower end machines are still made with metal innards. With regards to shipping, I checked out a few places within Canada and the most expensive shipping charges I found were $20. Stay away from ordering from ebay where the charges can be around $100 or more for shipping something heavy like a sewing machine and on top of that, you will be expected to pay duty or brokerage fees to pass over the border, if it comes from the States. Some do come from China. There are ways to work around the shipping fees, if you are close to the border but you can't ignore duty fees and the exchange rate. Having said that, I looked at many of the prices for new machines in Canada and the US and they are quite comparable. As well, there is a place in Hamilton, ON called Nova Sewing that sells many different types of machines and sells both new and second hand machines of an assortment of makes and models. Shipping is less than $20 and you don't have to worry about exchange rates. The dealer I visited today just outside Halifax told me today that he has a one-year trade-in policy for the price you paid for a new machine to go towards any higher priced machine. That way, you get to try something for a year and keep moving up with no loss. If he does this, then many other's might do this too. If you did buy something in the last few months, let us know what you got and how you are making out with your selection process! I found it a very interesting thread. Thanks!

petthefabric

Many of the manufacturer's have gone to "certified repair" and will only sell replacement parts to that certified repairman. You may need a certified repairman in your area, not just a repairman.

petthefabric

I've not read all of the posts, so this might be a repeat. There are now mid to long arm sit down machines with very large harps. They usually do a straight stitch (no zig zag) stitches. A friend got a $200 Brother from Costco. Didn't last long. IMHO, the least expensive machine that will last (new) is $500+. I love my Brother 1500S but after 20+ yrs of frequent sewing the knee lift is wearing out and can't be repaired (I'm told by the dealer). I'm ready to replace it with another Brother 1500S for around $700. I also use an 11# Brother Innovis 950D for traveling and zig zag. Between the two I can do 99% of my sewing. Then there are other machines.

notmorecraft

Can you get Juki in Canada, I have the HZL F600 which has a lot of space. I used to quilt king size quilts on my ancient 20 year old Janome which had a small throat space, probably a tight 6 inch. Challenging but doable.

Imagin

Yes, I did end up buying the Brother Dreamweaver VQ3000 and I couldn't be happier with it. I got it late November and am on my second quilt now. I tried Janome, Husqvarna, BabyLock & Bernina machines at the dealers before making my decision and I'm glad I did. I learned that most dealers will bad mouth their competition and outright lie to get your sale You really have to try the machines to know what is best for you. I'm really happy with the dealer I bought from and I know she'll be there for me if I need help. I ended up spending more than I originally intended but it was the right decision - I got a lot more machine than I thought was even possible when I first started shopping

Here are some pics from when I first brought it home:
http://imgur.com/a/iWGGS

hray

Sad but true about some dealers; some are, uh, how can I put this diplomatically--unreasonably biased toward their machines. And then there are brands that are very snobbish--implying that if you'd consider another brand you're probably not worthy of theirs. Well, I didn't buy from them!

Like Imagin, have a Brother VQ3000--it's 2 years old now, and I really enjoy it. Did I really NEED that much machine? Maybe not, but I really wanted the 11" throat, the needle threader, the knee lifter, the great lighting...but have found that the laser is wonderful; and I'm using more of the decorative stitches than I ever thought I would.

Another thing about good sewing machines: they can last you for a decade or more; sometimes many more. Another hobby of mine is photography, and there, new technology outdates old about every 3 years, so many people expect to replace their cameras that often. Not so if you get a good sewing machine that does what you need and want in the first place.

Bw,
Hallie in NM